Why don't people like this answer?
#1
FitDay Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 443
Why don't people like this answer?
I've had people at my job notice that I've lost weight. Part of me doesn't mind this, but part of me thinks it's none of their business and they shouldn't have been looking at my body anyway, but I suppose it's human nature to notice such things. Anyway, on to my main point. I've had a lot of people, mostly women, asking me how I did it.
I told them that all I did was count calories using fit day and tried to stay between 1200 and 1800 calories most days.
They don't understand this. Some people ask "how much does fit day cost?" I tell them it's free. They say "It's free? Do you buy your food from them?" I tell them no, I buy my own food, and that I just count the calories. They look at me like this is some kind of strange concept.
One woman told me "Oh, I couldn't do that" My thought was really? Are you so stupid you can't do addition? Of course I didn't say that. I just told her as far as I knew there was no other way.
She even came up to me later and asked again how I did it, and I gave her the same answer, and she gave the same response "Oh I couldn't count calories." All I could reply to her was that I didn't know any other way of losing weight except to control the calories because you have to burn more than you take in. She frowned and obviously didn't like that answer.
It's as if people WANT a complicated diet plan or "easy weight loss secret". Maybe from now on I should tell them to eat 3 avocados at every meal or something off the wall like that. I think I'd get more positive responses.
I told them that all I did was count calories using fit day and tried to stay between 1200 and 1800 calories most days.
They don't understand this. Some people ask "how much does fit day cost?" I tell them it's free. They say "It's free? Do you buy your food from them?" I tell them no, I buy my own food, and that I just count the calories. They look at me like this is some kind of strange concept.
One woman told me "Oh, I couldn't do that" My thought was really? Are you so stupid you can't do addition? Of course I didn't say that. I just told her as far as I knew there was no other way.
She even came up to me later and asked again how I did it, and I gave her the same answer, and she gave the same response "Oh I couldn't count calories." All I could reply to her was that I didn't know any other way of losing weight except to control the calories because you have to burn more than you take in. She frowned and obviously didn't like that answer.
It's as if people WANT a complicated diet plan or "easy weight loss secret". Maybe from now on I should tell them to eat 3 avocados at every meal or something off the wall like that. I think I'd get more positive responses.
#2
FitDay Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 25
shaking head.....
I don't get that either. Tell me to pay 40 bucks a month to a corporate behemoth, read a long book and combine foods at the right time of day, or lie on shakes and I don't like that. Tell me to count up what I eat and keep it under a given number, I can dig that.
#4
It comes down to that people(as a group tendency) are lazy. Counting calories involves looking up foods, thinking about what you eat and exerting willpower to eat those foods.
Much easier to have someone else do the work and hand you a "weight loss system".
Much easier to have someone else do the work and hand you a "weight loss system".
#5
FitDay Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 443
Maybe what their real problem is, involves the fact that the fit day plan involves eating less, and when they do eat, eating less caloricly dense and sometimes less appealing food, and they're just not willing to do that.
If someone asked me if I'd rather have a bowl of oatmeal or 5 slices of pepperoni pizza, I'd prefer the pizza, but I choose the oatmeal (most of the time). You can't always have the pizza and expect to make any progress.
Last edited by Rubystars; 03-04-2012 at 01:42 AM.
#6
I have several firends who want to lose weight and none of them follow my advise to join fitday. One will journal but lapses and gains back, another is maintaining well. However the others will not try this simple method.
I wonder if part of it is not wanting to take responsibility for losing - which also would mean accepting responsibility for what they weight now. Mary
I wonder if part of it is not wanting to take responsibility for losing - which also would mean accepting responsibility for what they weight now. Mary
#7
because too many have become sheeple
#8
Ruby,
I've had numerous people ask me "how I've done it", and my answers are the same as yours. I count my calories, I log EVERYTHING I eat, I work out, I keep my caloric intake between a set number daily. They look at me as if I had 3 heads and were from outer space. I've had quite a number of people tell me that that just sounds like "too much work" or that they're "not good with numbers like you are. I'd never be able to manage counting calories." I've even explained that I personally don't do the addition (but seriously, is it really that hard?), but that FitDay does it for me. They still say that it's too much work. We're in the age of smartphones, laptops and free WiFi hubs.....how hard is it to pull up a search engine, or a webiste??
I agree with HC. People, as a whole, are lazy. If it requires the most minimal amount of thought or effort, they're out. And you're right on the money when you say that their real problem is they don't want to eat less. I'm a food LOVER, so when I first decided that "this is it", I thought, OMG I'M GOING TO STARVE! And it's quite the contrary....I eat MORE and I'm less hungry throughout the day. I'm just eating fresher, less processed, and less calorie dense foods.
As far as other "weight loss systems" go, if you can afford it and want someone else to tell you what you can and can't eat, then I say go for it. As far as me, I like to control what goes into my body. But that's just me. I like to micro manage. I like crunching numbers. I like over analyzing every detail of my life. The only system I don't really have a problem with is Weight Watchers (other than the fact that you have to pay for it). Because all WW is, is calorie counting dumbed down. They assign "points" to specific products or foods based on the number of calories in that food. It's easier for people to add 2 + 2 than it is to figure out the exact calorie count in that banana and that bowl of oatmeal, and then add THAT together (although, even THAT'S not too complicated). Again, it's HC's answer of people are lazy.
Bottom line is this....if people who ask are serious about losing weight, they'll look into the advice you've given them. If not, then they won't. And some people are just curious.
I've had numerous people ask me "how I've done it", and my answers are the same as yours. I count my calories, I log EVERYTHING I eat, I work out, I keep my caloric intake between a set number daily. They look at me as if I had 3 heads and were from outer space. I've had quite a number of people tell me that that just sounds like "too much work" or that they're "not good with numbers like you are. I'd never be able to manage counting calories." I've even explained that I personally don't do the addition (but seriously, is it really that hard?), but that FitDay does it for me. They still say that it's too much work. We're in the age of smartphones, laptops and free WiFi hubs.....how hard is it to pull up a search engine, or a webiste??
I agree with HC. People, as a whole, are lazy. If it requires the most minimal amount of thought or effort, they're out. And you're right on the money when you say that their real problem is they don't want to eat less. I'm a food LOVER, so when I first decided that "this is it", I thought, OMG I'M GOING TO STARVE! And it's quite the contrary....I eat MORE and I'm less hungry throughout the day. I'm just eating fresher, less processed, and less calorie dense foods.
As far as other "weight loss systems" go, if you can afford it and want someone else to tell you what you can and can't eat, then I say go for it. As far as me, I like to control what goes into my body. But that's just me. I like to micro manage. I like crunching numbers. I like over analyzing every detail of my life. The only system I don't really have a problem with is Weight Watchers (other than the fact that you have to pay for it). Because all WW is, is calorie counting dumbed down. They assign "points" to specific products or foods based on the number of calories in that food. It's easier for people to add 2 + 2 than it is to figure out the exact calorie count in that banana and that bowl of oatmeal, and then add THAT together (although, even THAT'S not too complicated). Again, it's HC's answer of people are lazy.
Bottom line is this....if people who ask are serious about losing weight, they'll look into the advice you've given them. If not, then they won't. And some people are just curious.
#9
FitDay Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,269
I was gonna say maybe you should make up some complicated crazy diet/exercise plan and tell them you did that. It seems like they might just be looking for reasons why they "can't do that" anyway.
I won't lie. I do find logging tedious or constricting sometimes. But it does work.
And I agree with Tori. WW is just calorie restriction in the costume of a points system. As far as plans go, it's probably about the best of em (and I have been on so many of em - cabbage diet anyone? Atkins anyone? South Beach anyone? Dukan anyone?) Maybe you could tell them you did WW. Most people accept WW as a reasonable plan. After all, the Dutchess of York and Jennifer Hudson lost on it so it HAS to be good. And when they say Oh WW, OK, tell them you just did WW by another name: Fitday.
I won't lie. I do find logging tedious or constricting sometimes. But it does work.
And I agree with Tori. WW is just calorie restriction in the costume of a points system. As far as plans go, it's probably about the best of em (and I have been on so many of em - cabbage diet anyone? Atkins anyone? South Beach anyone? Dukan anyone?) Maybe you could tell them you did WW. Most people accept WW as a reasonable plan. After all, the Dutchess of York and Jennifer Hudson lost on it so it HAS to be good. And when they say Oh WW, OK, tell them you just did WW by another name: Fitday.
Last edited by canary52; 03-04-2012 at 04:09 AM.
#10
See, not to me. I treat it more like a game. I call it "Did I Log That?"oooohhhh I like!! I may have to start telling people this!!